NGSS Cross Cutting Concepts (CCCs)

Systems & System Models

A system is an organized group of related objects or components; models can be used for understanding and predicting the behavior of systems.

Cause & Effect

Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. Deciphering causal relationships, and the mechanisms by which they are mediated, is a major activity of science and engineering.

Stability & Change

For both designed and natural systems, conditions that affect stability and factors that control rates of change are critical elements to consider and understand.

Scale, Proportion, & Quantity

In considering phenomena, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different size, time, and energy scales, and to recognize proportional relationships between different quantities as scales change.

Patterns

Observed patterns in nature guide organization and classification and prompt questions about relationships and causes underlying them.

Structure & Function

The way an object is shaped or structured determines many of its properties and functions.

Energy & Matter

Tracking energy and matter flows, into, out of, and within systems helps one understand their system's behavior.